Can end assembling machine



June 30, 1942. J. H. MURCH 2,287,817

CAN END ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24. 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR, I, 21f My V ATTORNEYS June 30, 1942. H, MURH GAR END ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. I ,0. .I.

ATTORNEYS June 30, 1942. .1. H. MURCH CAN END ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet s JIM INVENTOR. I, 7% W aM' .(2 'i ail.

ATTORNEYS Patented June 30, 1 942 American Can Company, New York, N. corporation of New Jersey Application August 2411940, Serial No. 354,115

' 7 Claims. (01. sag-55.1

The present invention relates to can end as- I sembling machines and the like and has particular reference to a-machine for inserting fibre" end members into rectangular fibre can' bodies and for holding them in such an inserted position. This is an improvement on the Can end assembling machine disclosed in United States Patent 2,200,276, issued May 14, 1940, to J. M. Hothersall et al.

The invention relates to inserting can end members into rectangular can bodies of the character having an annular shoulder against which the inserted end member is located and bow outwardly and thus reduce the cross sec-' tional area of the can adjacent the flange to such an extent that the end member is prevented from readily entering the can body. Where the end members are inserted by rapidly operating machinery such a condition often prevents the ends from being inserted in place and thus frequently causes damage to the bodies and jam in the machine.

The instant invention contemplates overcoming this difliculty by providing shoe horns or guide plates which enter the body and hold back the flange parts so that the end member may be readily inserted into its proper place withinthe" body.

An object therefore of the invention is the provision in a can end assembling machine of devices which operate to spread the flangeof a fibre can body-and hold it in a predetermined open position so that a fibre end member may be readily inserted within the can body without crushing the flange or in other ways damaging the body.

Another object is the provision in such a machine of elements ior holding the inserted end member in place within the body wherein the corners or the body flange are tucked inwardly. toward the inserted end members to provide. protuberances which engage the end member and thus prevent its displacement from the body.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with 'the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings: A Figure 1 is a sectional view of a can end assembling station of a machine embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a detailed part of the machine;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the end member inserting parts of the machine and illustrating a can body in section and in place to receive a can end member, with parts broken away;

Figs. 5 and 6 are sections taken substantially along the brokenline 5-5 in Fig. 4 and showing the parts in different positions; and

Fig. 7 is an end view of a can body with an end member inserted in place and held against displacement by tucks formed in the body flange at its corners.

As a preferred embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate principal parts of'a can end member inserting station of a can end assembling machine of the character disclosed in the above mentioned Hothersall Patent 2,200,276.

In such a'machine square and flat can end members A are fed into position adjacent the end of a square fibre can body B and are pushed into place within the body. The body is formed with an annular inwardly extending shoulder bead C which terminates in a' straight longitudinally extending flange D which surrounds the body. The inserted end member is forced home against the shoulder bead C and then the comers of the flange are bent inwardly to produce tucks E which hold the inserted end member in place within the body. The flange is subsequently folded over against the end member and sealed in place. However, these folding and sealing operations form no part of the instant invention and are therefore omitted from this specification.

A can body B to receive an end member A is carried through the machine in a horizontal position and in an intermittent or step-by-step advancement by means of a conveyor which is actuated in any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine. When the conveyor comes to rest between movements it end member inserting station with an end of the body in line with a can holding head I2 (Figs. .1 and 2).

A pusher member I3 (Fig. 4) disposed at the opposite end of the body moves it transversely of the conveyor and inserts it into the holding head. This pushermember may be actuated in any suitable manner operating in time with the other moving parts of the machine.

The can holding head I2 includes a stationary cylindrically shaped bracket I5 which is bolted to a frame I6 which constitutes the main frame of the machine. The bracket carries a plurality of radially movable slides H which operate in slideways I8 formed in the bracket. There are preferably four of the slides located one adjacent each flat side of the rectangular can body. At their inner ends the slides are formed with shaped jaws I9 which-are adapted to engage within the head shoulders C of the can body B (see also Fi 4).

The outer ends of the slides I! are formed with bosses 2| which extend through radial slots 22 formed in the cylindrical bracket I5. These bosses carry cam rollers 24 which operate in inclined cam slots 25 formed in a rotatable cam disc 26 disposed in an annular recess 21 in the bracket I5. The disc is held in place by a gib ring 28 which is secured to the outer face of the bracket.

The cam disc 26 is fitted with a rack 3| which meshes with a segment gear 32 formed on a crank arm 33 keyed to a rock shaft 34 carried in suitable bearings of the machine main frame I6. The rock shaft is oscillated in any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine.

Hence when the rock shaft 34 moves in one direction it rocks the segment gear 32 and through the rack 3| rotates the cam disc 26 in itsrecess 21. This shifts the cam slots 25 relative to the cam rollers 24 and thus the slides II are shifted inwardly toward the can body, the jaws I9 engaging in the bead shoulder B and gripping the can on all sides while holding it firmly against displacement.

While the can body B is thus being clamped in position in the inserting head I2 a can end member A is also being fed into position adjacent the open end of the body. Feeding of the end member is brought about by a feeding device 4| (Fig. 1) which includes a magazine 42 in which a stack of the end members are retained. The magazine is Supported on a bracket frame 43 which is bolted to the main frame I6 adjacent the can holding head I2.

The end members A are fed from the bottom of the magazine 42 by a dog 45 which is secured to a reciprocating feed bar 46 disposed directly under the magazine in a slideway 41 formed in the bracket frame 43. The feed bar has rack teeth 48 which mesh .with a segment gear 49. The segment gear is part of a bell crank 5| mounted on a pivot pin 52 secured in the bracket frame. This bell crank is actuated in any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine and preferably as disclosed in the Hothersall patent 2,200,276.

As the feed dog 45 reciprocates below the stack of end members in the magazine 42, it picks oil the lowermost end member and feeds it into the grip of a pair of feed rollers 65, 56 which are located adjacent the magazine. These rollers are mounted on pivot pins 51, 58 which are secured in the bracket frame 43. The rollers guide the feed blank into a curved runway 6| which is (I formed on the bracket frame and which leads to a place or station adjacent the open end of the held can body B.

An end member A deposited in the curved runway is immediately advanced therealong by a feed finger 32. This finger is carried on the outer end of an arm 63 mounted on a short shaft 64 carried on the bracket frame. The shaft is rocked in any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the-machine.

Rocking of the shaft 64 swings the arm 63 back and forth adjacent the curved runway 6| when the arm moves through a forward stroke its finger 62 engages in back of an end member deposited in the runway and thus propels the end member therealong and into position adjacent the can body.

The advanced end member is received in a vertical position, i. e., onedge, in a pair of retaining grooves IL (Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6) formed in a pair of oppositely disposed shoe horns or guide plates 12. There are four of these shoe horns I2 located one adjacent each flat side of the held can body B, these being two side shoe horns having the grooves 'II and a lower and an upper shoe horn. The horns thus outline a square of the size substantially equal to the size of the end of the can body. The rear edge of the upper shoe horn is shorter than the' others to permit the insertion of the can end member into the grooves II of the two side horns.

The inner surfaces of all the shoe horns are formed each with an inwardly inclined section 14 which extends into the can body B adjacent the flange D and there terminates in a sharp slender edge portion or shelf 15,.

The shoe horns I2 are yieldably mounted on the cylindrical bracket I5 of the inserting head I2. For this purpose each horn is bolted to a plunger 11 (Fig. 4) carried in a bore 18 of a small bracket 19. The latter is secured to the cylindrical bracket I5 and is located in a recess 0| formed therein. Each plunger carries a spring barrel 83 which contains a compression spring 84 and this spring presses the outer end of the barrel against a shoulder 85 of the recess 8|.

This keeps the shoe horns in their normal position, as best shown in Fig. 4. A lug 86 (Fig. 4) on the outer end of each plunger 11 engages against the outer end of the small brackets 19. This limits the inward travel of the shoe horns.

When the end member A is received in the shoe horns I2 it is in front of the can body B positioned at that time to receive it. It is also in alignment with an inserting punch 9| (Fig. 1) which is located rearwardly of the end member. The punch is preferably of square cross section and is slightly smaller than the end member A. The punch is also yieldably mounted in a bore of a punch slide 93 carried in a slideway 94 formed in a bracket 35 which is bolted to the top of the main frame I6. A compression spring 91 carried within the punch is interposed between the punch and the slide and thus provides the yieldable feature for the punch.

The punch slide 93 is movable toward and away from the end of the can-B. This is brought about by a cam roller IOI which is carried on the slide and which extends down through an opening I02 in the bracket 95; The cam roller operates in a cam groove I03 of a rocker cam I04 secured to the rocker shaft 34.

Hence when the rocker shaft 34 moves the can holding jaws I9 in place against the can to hold by moves the punch slide 93 through a forward stroke toward the end of the held can.. The timing is such that the jaws I9 are fully in place and a can end member A is also in position'in the shoe 7 horns 12 before the punch starts forward.

On the forward stroke of the punch slide 93,

the punch 9| comes into engagement with the fed can end member and pushes it out of its retaining grooves II and carries it forward along the shoe homs toward the can body. As the movingend member travels along the inclined surfaces H of the shoe horns, it presses the shoe horns outwardly against the resistance of their spring barrels 83.

This expanding action causes the shelf portions of the horns to press outwardly on the can body flange D and thereby slightly stretch the flange so that the end member A will readily pass into the When within the can body the end member rides off the shoe horns and snaps into place against the shoulder bead C. This permits the shoe horns to contract around the punch in their original positions.

In order to hold the end member A in its inserted position within the can body B the tucks E are now formed in the flange D at the corners of the body. These tucks are produced by a tucking head I06 (Fig. 3) which is secured to the punch slide 93 adjacent and in back of the inserting punch 9|. The tucking head carries four stationary blunt blades I01 disposed on edge and in line with the corners of the held can body. The blades extend into slots provided in the punch.

Hence when the punch 9| seats the can end member A against the can body shoulder bead 0, further movement of the punch is arrested but the punch slide continues to move forward and thus brings the' tucking 'head into play. During this continued movement of the punch slide, the tucking blades I01 come into engagement with the edge of the flange D at the corners of the body and bend the flange inwardly toward the inserted end member. This produces an inwardly extending protuberance or tuck E (Fig. 7) which engages the end member and keeps it in' place within the body. This completes the end member inserting and tucking operations.

The punch BI and the can holding jaws I!) are thereupon withdrawn to their original positions so that the can body may be shifted away from the inserting head. Withdrawal of the can from the head is preferably brought about by hooked fingers I08 (Fig. 4) which are mounted on pivot pins I09 carried in the pusher member l3. These fingers may be actuated in anysuitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine. a

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that-various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbeforeldescribed being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim: 1 1. In a machine for assembling a fiat fibre can for surrounding and enclosing said end, the combination of means for moving within and spreadring said can body flange outwardly, means for moving an end member into temporary engagement with said spreading means, and means for thereafter moving said can end member relative to and into wedging engagement with said canbody flange Spreading means to move the la ter radially outwardly by radially exerted press re of said end member, thereby expanding outw rdly said can body flange as said end member moves therewithin towards its said shoulder bead seat at the inner end of said body flange.

' 2. In a machine for assembling a fiat fibre can end member within a. rectangular fibre can body having an annular inwardly extending shoulder bead constituting a seat for said end and also setting off an outer terminal flange on said body for surrounding and enclosing said end, the combination of means for entering the open end of said body adjacent said flange for outwardly spreading said flange, means for feeding an end member laterally into temporary holding engagement with said spreading means, and means for moving said end member from its holding engagement into a wedging engagement with said spreading means to move the latter radially outwardly against said can body flange by means of radially exerted pressure of said moving end member to spread said body flange outwardly as said end member is inserted therewithin, said end member moving means being further operative to position said end member against said shoulder bead seat of the can body at the conclusion of the inserting operation. 1

3. In a machine for assembling a flat fibre ca end member with a rectangular fibre can body having an annular inwardly extending shoulder bead setting off a flange at the end of the body, the combination of a punch movable toward an end of the body for inserting an end member therein, a plurality of shoe horn plates surrounding said punch and having shelf portions extending into the can body, and means for inserting an end member into between said plates, said plates being adapted to be shifted outwardly by radially exerted pressure of an inserted end member to force the flange of the body outwardly a sufficient distance to receive the can end member during its insertion-without said member engaging the flange.

4. In a machine for assembling a fibre can end with a rectangular fibre can body having an annular inwardly extending shoulder bead setting off a flange at the end of the body, the combination of a punch movable toward an end of a positioned body for inserting an end therein, a plurality of yieldable shoe horn plates surrounding end member within a rectangular fibre can body said punch and having shelf portions extending into the can body. one of said plates having means thereon for'receiving and retaining a can end in registry with said punch and also having inwardly tapering surfaces engageable by the edges of the can end for shifting the plates outwardly as the end is moved by said punch out of said retaining means toward the positioned can body to spread such body, and devices for actuating said punch for inserting said can end member in said spread body.

5. In a machine for assembling a fibre can end member with a rectangular fibre can body having an annular inwardly extending shoulder bead setting ofl? a flange at the end of the body, the combination of a punch movable toward an end of the body for inserting an end member therein, and a plurality of shoe horn plates surrounding said punch and each plate having a shelf portion which extends into the can body, said plates being adapted to be shifted outwardly to force the flange oi the body outwardly a sufllcient distance to receive the can end member during its insertion without its enga i g the said flange, two or said plates on opposite sides of said punch hav-' ing grooves for retaining the can end member in position for engagement by said inserting punch.

6. In a machine for assembling a flat flbre can end member with a rectangular fibre can body having an annular inwardly extending shoulder bead setting 01! a flange at the end or the body, the combination of means for holding a can body in a predetermined position, feeding devices for feeding a can end member into position adjacent the open end of the held can body, a punch movable toward the end oi the held can body for pushing the positioned end member into the body and against the shoulder bead, and a plurality of shoe horn plates surrounding said punch having means thereon for receiving and holding a can end member so positioned and also having shelf to clear the can end member as it enters the said spread body without engaging said flange.

'7. In a machine for assembling a flat flbre can end member with a rectangular flbre can body having an annular inwardly extending shoulder bead setting ofl a flange at the end of the body. the combination or a punch movable toward an end of the body for inserting an end member therein, a plurality of shoe horn plates surrounding said punch and having shelf portions extending into the can body, said plates being adapted to be shifted outwardly by radial pressure of an inserted end member to force the flange oi the body outwardly as an incident to said insertion of the can end member and so that the latter does not engage the flange of said body, certain of said plates having means thereon i'or receiving and holding a can end member in position to be engaged by said punch, means for actuating said punch for an inserting operation, and means movable with said punch for engaging said body flange endwise at the corners of the body after the end member has been inserted to produce inwardly extending projections which engage the inserted end member and hold it in position within the body.

JOHN H. MURCH. 

